When the Simple is made Difficult

The Gospel is simple and uncomplicated. If we were to encapsulate the whole gospel into one brief sentence it could go like this: Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (Acts 16:31). The same explanation of the gospel is beautifully captured in the frequently quoted, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn. 3:16).

The Gospel of God through Jesus Christ is often referred to as ‘Good News’. The good news of God to mankind is truly simple. If we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved. Period! No frills, no hidden agendas, no fine print and no “*T&C Apply” tags.

However this word, ‘believe’ is probably the most misunderstood word in the Bible. In an attempt to preach the gospel to the lost, it has been used so casually; to the point of watering down the entire gospel. The quality of faith in Christians today because of the frivolous use of the word, ‘believe’ is now seen everywhere.

What then is it to ‘believe’? The Amplified New Testament very aptly amplifies this word with three terms: trust; cling to; rely on. The more we meditate on each term, the more we would begin to realise what the gospel is all about. And herein lies the crux of how something simple can be made difficult.

Evangelicals have made the word believe to mean “accept” or “receive”. The logic is that salvation is a free gift of God and if we accept or receive this gift, we are saved. Now there is truth in this but it is not the whole truth and this is where the new believing heart has been left with the assuring words, “Congratulations brother! You are now saved.” Another true statement which is seldom fully understood is, “Receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour and you will be saved.” Very few leave with the clear understanding of what it means to accept Jesus Christ as the Lord and Saviour of one’s life. The terms “Lord” and “Saviour” are often seen as no more than titles. 

I do not demean the saving grace of God and the genuineness of the heart that has “accepted” Jesus Christ into their lives for there are thousands who will testify how that moment was a turning point in their life. Yet there are many more thousands who will tell you that they believe in Jesus without actually knowing what it truly means to “believe”.

The term “trust” is to hope with confidence and confident expectation. Hebrews 11:1 defines this for us by using terms such as, “assurance” and “being fully convinced”. The author then goes on to describe heroes of faith who trusted in God whom they could not see, yet believed with full assurance, confidence and hope that bubbled with life. Trust is being fully assured in God, convinced that He is true and faithful and ever present and in total control. Trust is not leaning on one’s own understanding but practically acknowledging Him who is never failing.

The term, “cling to” is to grasp in such a way so as to never let go. It is to lay hold of tightly as one would a buoy or a raft on a stormy sea. It is like grasping a rope and holding on to it for dear life because such a one knows that letting go would be disastrous. The Psalms are filled with terms like refuge, shelter, hiding place and the likes. In “clinging” to God, there is safety. Being “anchored” in God’s love is another shade of the term, ‘cling to’. The Lord desires that in our relationship with Him, we cling to Him with a hold that will never let go.

The third term, “rely on” can also mean to “depend on”. Can we in our walk with God, through the journey of life, rely on Him and depend on Him as the One who is fully trustworthy and dependable? As the One who cares for us and will never fail when we have put our trust in Him? Did not Christ show His love for us by dying for us while we were still sinners? Does not Scripture tell us that they that put their trust in God will never be disappointed?

The problem with us is that we are too afraid to trust in, cling to and rely on Him who is unseen. We would rather trust in what we can relate to; what is known and tested by the world as the “logical way”. We would rather cling to things that have earthly value, such as wealth or property or a source of revenue we can rely on because we can depend on that source at some point or another. We would rather lean on what our senses make us believe is reliable and dependable. 

Here lies the difficulty in keeping the gospel simple. Instead of trusting in, clinging to and leaning on God we relegate God to the peripheral aspects of our life—aspects that do not interfere with our decisions. We are content with fellowship and prayer and reading of the Bible as long as it does not come in the way of our choices.

Someone once said to me, “I cannot take the chance.” This brief yet honest confession is the underlining reason why we would rather trust our wisdom than God’s wisdom. It is the reason why would rather rely on our plans than God’s plans. We know in our hearts that God is all-wise; that He never makes a mistake; and that His plans are eternal and always for our welfare. Yet because we cannot see the Almighty Creator, we are satisfied to rely on and trust in that which we can see and relate to.

We are willing to cling to the truth that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. We are willing to believe that through Jesus we are redeemed from the kingdom of sin; and that through Him we have the assurance of eternal life. We believe in our sonship. We believe in all the promises that God has given. We believe and sing, “There is none like You.” But look closely! The belief is on what Christ has done or doing for us; not on what we need to do. This is also one of the reasons we are selective when we read promises like those in Deuteronomy 28. We remember and proclaim and even remind God verses 3 to 13(a), but conveniently forget or pay no attention to verse 1, 2 and 13 (b). 

Is not a covenant between two people? When Jesus instituted the New Covenant in His blood it wasn’t that He would be the only party to honour the covenant and we would be merely recipients, was it? Is there no “loving God”, “obeying God” or “faith in God”? Are we not expected to please God? If we reflect on the terms, “love God”, “obey God” or “faith in God”—all three mandatory commands as our part of the covenant—we will soon understand that they find purpose only in the person of God and all that He is. How then can we do this if we do not trust in, cling to and lean on the person of God?  

What a pity that Christians settle down for something mediocre when God desires for us the best—all because we “cannot take the chance.” What a shame that the Church that is expected to proclaim the glory of the gospel; and display the power that is in it; while shining forth the light which is ‘Christ in us’; finds herself a poor witness and powerless. A ‘witness’ is one that testifies what he has actually experienced. Such a testimony is then considered true. Peter, John and the other Apostles spoke as witnesses because they saw and tasted and experienced Jesus. How sad that we testify about Jesus Christ because of what we read and hear.

I recognise that none of what I have written is easy. This is why I said that we make that which is simple, difficult. It requires total surrender. It demands 100% faith and obedience. There are no half-ways. God in His mercy accepts the littleness of our faith but He also expects it to grow. We must move from children to young men to fathers (1Jn. 2:12-14). Note how the Apostle John describes both the children and the fathers. They both know God yet there is a big, big difference in the knowledge of each. 

May God stir our hearts to repentance. May He spur within us a resolute commitment that we would enter this New Year with the earnest, longing and sincere heart to ‘believe’ in Him completely, not selectively. May He be glorified in us as we trust in, cling to and rely on Him, for this is what the gospel demands.

The Church in a Cashless Economy

“And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand, or on their forehead; and he provides that no one should be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.” Revelation 13:16, 17

I very seldom write on current news except when it has some bearing on Bible prophesies. Also, this writing is more India-centric and how I see the Church in this country’s new economic push. Therefore I am not quite sure if what I write is from the Lord. However the focus of my writing eventually leads to an aspect that the Church needs to pay careful heed to, lest she finds herself unprepared and I think this is what the Lord would want too.

About three weeks after the Prime Minister of India announced that high denomination notes (which constituted nearly 86% of the cash in circulation) was no longer going to be recognised as a legal tender, I found this thought impressed upon my heart: “I have placed this government in power to fulfil what I have purposed.” This was at a time when the entire country was facing a severe cash crunch. Bank restrictions on how much money one can withdraw, serpentine queues outside banks, non-functional ATM machines have put citizens through enormous difficulties. The crisis is still on, even as I write.

A day later, news of airports in two South Indian cities allowing biometric data stored on the Unique Identity Card (known in India as the Aadhar card) as identity proof to permit passengers into the airport building caught my attention. The government controlled Unique Identity Authority of India (UIDAI) has in its possession the name, age, photograph, address, fingerprints of all 10 digits and the iris scan of each individual who has obtained this card. A 12-digit unique ID number given to each card holder has served for some years now as a proof of identity.

Barely 24 hours later I read of how the Government of India was going to make it compulsory for all bank account holders to link their Aadhar card to their bank accounts—something that has hitherto been optional and only if one wants to avail of direct government benefits, like subsidy and the likes. Not long after that I read of how the government is planning to launch a new way of transaction now referred to as the Aadhar Payment App (or Aadhar Pay). Two banks have already initiated this; one of them being India’s largest Public Sector bank and on December 25, 2016, close to 100 merchants have begun using this form of transaction.

Here is where this new drive to get India into a cashless economy appears to be heading in the direction of Revelation 13:16-18. The system is simple and “will enable citizens in the deepest corners of the country to participate in the digital movement, even those who do not own a phone,” said the CEO of one of the banks that is part of the nationwide launch of an Aadhar-linked cashless solution. It works this way: A merchant is given an Android based smart phone with the Aadhar Pay App on it. He is also given a fingerprint scanner. All the customer needs to do to pay for his purchase is provide his Aadhar number (which is of course linked to his bank account) and authorize the payment using his fingerprint. Nothing else!

I believe that this is the beginning of what will soon be the chief form of transactions. If anyone needs to buy or sell, it will require the individual’s biometrics. The severe cash shortage and the government’s earnest resolve to push for cashless transactions has already taken centre-stage so as to quickly bring normalcy to the lives of every Indian. However my fear is this: Could this eventually lead to what has been told to us by God nearly 2000 years ago? How this will play out on a global scale, I do not know. What I do know is that the time has come for the Church to awake (Eph. 5:14).

The purpose of my writing this is to encourage each Christian heart to build their lives on the most holy faith they have in God (Jude 20). Now is the time, when the Church needs to cling to God in complete trust—in His care and faithfulness and mercy and goodness. Now is the time for each heart to be anchored in God’s unfailing, forever-enduring, inseparable and immeasurable love—an anchor that is lodged in deep so that we are not shaken in crisis; nor moved with fear when times of distress come upon us. If we do not use this time, while it is still day to know the God we believe in and lean on Him with an unshakeable faith, I fear night will come when no man will be in a position to do much (Jn. 9:4). Now is the time to gather oil in our flasks. A time will come when we will find it very difficult.

I do not write this to frighten anyone. I too pay for what I need using online transactions or debit card and sometimes my e-wallets. But never have I used my fingerprints to buy anything. So I write this to alert the Church. I write this with the desire that the Church awake, “for we are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness” (1Thes. 5:5).

“God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Thes. 5:9). The Lord knows those who are His (2Tim. 2:19) and He will keep and protect His children if they have to go through the tribulation. Just as it is written, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads” (Rev. 7:3). However twice in two chapters has God said, “Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus” (Rev. 13:10; 14:12). If anyone has an ear, let him hear (Rev. 13:9).

The Glory of God in the Birth of Christ

God reveals several of His attributes in the birth of Jesus Christ. While I post this writing at a time when the world celebrates that glorious occasion when the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (Jn. 1:14), my hope is that by reminding ourselves of the glory of God, we shall be encouraged to cling to Him with greater trust—for I believe that this is what is critically needed in the Church in the times we are living in. Though there would be several attributes that we could glean from scripture, I list out just six.

The first attribute that is revealed of our glorious God is that He is eternal and omniscient. God made known through the prophets of the Old Testament precisely what He was going to do to redeem man from their sins. As far back as to Adam and Eve, nearly 4000 years before the birth of Christ, God declared how Jesus would crush the head of the serpent though He Himself would be bruised (Gen. 3:15). From then on God showed this to other men down the ages—to Abraham and Moses and David and Isaiah and Daniel and many others. The word that came to these men, hundreds or sometimes thousands of years before it actually happened described exactly every detail with absolute precision—the Messiah’s virgin birth, His name, the place of His birth, the day and even the time of His sacrifice as the Lamb of God. Scripture even revealed details of what would happen at the time of His death—the mocking, the plucking of His beard, the tunic He wore, the gall He was given and even the fact that not a bone in His body would be broken—it all happened precisely just as God revealed so many hundreds of years before it happened.

The point I am making is this: We serve a God who is eternal. He knows the end from the beginning. He knows precisely what is to happen, how and when. Nothing takes God by surprise. Nothing is hidden from Him. What is more—He knows exactly what He wants to do well in advance and is fully capable of carrying out His purpose just as He desires.

God is encouraging us to trust in Him with all our heart and not lean on our own understanding. He invites us by saying, “Acknowledge Me as the One who knows your tomorrows and as One who is fully able to direct your paths” (Prov. 3:5, 6). I ask that the Church would be so trusting; in Him who can do a better job at directing our steps and our decisions without any mistake. May this character of God encourage us to hold nothing back but lean on Him completely. The God we believe in has our future safe in His hands.

The second attribute of God that is revealed in the birth of Christ is His unchanging, faithful character. Simeon waited for the fulfilment of God’s promises even though God was silent for nearly 400 years after last speaking through Malachi. Simeon knew God to be unfailing. He knew that God is dependable and trustworthy. God rewarded Simeon’s faith by revealing to Him that he would not see death until he saw the salvation of God (Lk. 2:25-32). 

Ever so often we go through times when it appears as though God is doing nothing. God’s silence perplexes us. It’s as though our prayers are in vain. The fact is that God neither slumbers nor sleeps. He is working even now (Jn. 5:17; Php. 2:13). Just because we do not see answers to our prayers at the time we ‘expect’ does not mean God is doing nothing. His word assures our hearts that the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their cry (Psa. 34:15).

The third attribute of God that we see in the birth of Christ is the limitless power of the Almighty. Never in the history of mankind has anyone ever been born of a virgin, save Jesus Christ. Mary herself asked the most expected question that any person would ask (Lk. 1:34). The answer to her is the answer to us too. “With God nothing will be impossible” (Lk. 1:37). Our Lord Jesus said the same thing in another context. “The things that are impossible with men are possible with God” (Lk. 18:27). 

We know and have confessed with our mouths that nothing is too hard for God. We sing songs with our lips that proclaim, “Nothing! Nothing! Absolutely nothing! Nothing is too difficult for Thee.” Yet when it comes to dealing with our problems, we rely on our wisdom, our strength and our abilities. We run to people. We rely on the strength of horses and on princes (Isa. 31:1). God invites us saying, “You know that I am the King of Glory. Will you make me the King of your life? Would you let My rule and will have jurisdiction over your every decision?” Can we trust God’s leadership? Can we lean on His mighty power? Can we give Him control over our choices and decisions and say to Him in all sincerity, “I want Thee O King to have Thy way in my life. May Thy will alone be done”?

You know, when the Lord Jesus said in Revelation 3:20, “Behold I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears My voice and open the door, I will come in to him and dine with him,” He was not speaking to unbelievers. I have often heard Christians use this verse to tell the unsaved that God is waiting for us to open the door of our hearts to Him. While it is true that the Lord is waiting for all men to respond to His mercy and love, the appeal that our resurrected Lord made was to a Church. He was telling those whom He had saved and cleansed and redeemed, “Behold I stand at the door and knock.” Are we like the Laodiceans where the King is ‘outside’ and not permitted to govern our lives? Where we have control over our decisions and imply indirectly to God, “Let me make all these important decisions, dear God. What I would like You to do however is bless my efforts. Do the extraordinary and sit quietly in the background as I give Thee my praise.” I wish it were not so, but I fear that many in the Church are like the Laodiceans. They are neither cold nor hot. They think that they are rich and wealthy and have need of nothing but fail to see that they are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked (Rev. 3:15-17).

The fourth attribute of God that is seen in the birth of Jesus Christ is the fact that God is Sovereign, protective and caring. King Herod tried everything within his power to get rid of Jesus. He tried first with trickery to extract information from the magi. He then flew into a rage and used his power to kill innocent children in his attempt to destroy Jesus (Mt. 2:7-16). Yet through it all, God kept Jesus safe. There was no harm or danger that could ever touch Him.

God in like manner tells us that He is our fortress when we make Him our refuge. He is our Shield. He is our Defender. Hebrews 13:6 says, “…What can man do to me?” Psalm 91:1 tells us that God will cover us with the shadow of His wings when we make Him our shelter. I once shared this example with a congregation of saints. I said that the Prime Minister of a country is surrounded by special highly trained security guards. They are his shield and his defender. When this important person is in danger, he does not take it upon himself to defend his life. He trusts his security who is his shield and defender to take care of that. Why then do we say to God, “You are my fortress,” and still seek ways to protect ourselves. 

May God give us the faith to rest in His love and care, just like Jesus who slept at the back of a tossed boat in the midst of a raging storm surrounded by threatening situations. Seasoned fishermen feared for their lives, but our Lord rested securely in the love of His Father (Mt. 8:23-27).

There is another attribute that we often tend to ignore. This happens because we allow our physical senses to determine what is real and reliable. The truth is that though God is invisible to our senses, He is more real and more near to us than we can ever imagine. At the time of our Lord’s birth, shepherds were watching their flock by night. The Bible first tells us that an angel of the Lord appeared to them (Lk. 2:8, 9). The angel was there. They just did not know it until their eyes were opened to see him. Later in that chapter we are told that “suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God” (Lk. 2:13). This multitude of angels was there with the first angel. It is just that the shepherds could not see them. When Jacob met the Lord at Bethel he said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” (Gen. 28:16)

May God open the eyes of our heart to recognise that though He is invisible to us, He is ever present. His word is true when He said, “I will never leave you nor will I forsake you. (Heb. 13:5)” It wasn’t exaggeration when He said, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Mt. 28:20) We need to believe it and cling to this unseen God for in Him lies our safety and our help.

Finally, the attribute that we are all so familiar with is God’s love. The oft quoted verse, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” is not just for our wall posters. It is the very demonstration of God’s love—that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8). In that is God’s love over us that endures forever (Psa. 136). In it is His love that never fails. Through that love we understand that nothing can separate us from God. His love for us is inseparable (Rom. 8:39). His love is also boundless or immeasurable or fathomless (Eph. 3:18).

Why then are you afraid O my soul. Why do you tremble within? Rest in Him for His love just goes on and on and never stops. Lean on Him who is dependable and trustworthy for He never fails. Cling to Him tightly and firmly for though His love is inseparable, it is easy for thee to stray. Know that you can cast your cares on Him because He cares for you (1Pet. 5:7).

I have written all the above attributes of God that we may believe in Him and let that faith in the person of God affect our very life, our decisions and our choices. How sad it is when we hear the word and take no action. It is like the seed that either falls to the ground, or on rocky ground or among thorns. I sometimes tell my hearers that we expect that every child will grow with each passing year—from infant to toddler to young boy to grown boy and then to manhood. If this growth does not take place we call this abnormal yet how complacent we are not to apply the same standards in the Church. How sad when men and women sit with the Church for years and are still not able to move beyond the milk phase. How sad that they are not ready for solid food (Heb. 5:12). 

Our Lord Jesus gave us a very solemn warning in a story He narrated in Luke 13:6-9. It should shake us from our slumber and bring us to our knees in repentance lest after years of toil and labour in the Father’s garden we should be found to have leaves only, bearing no fruit. Our High Priest, who intercedes for us, says “Sir, let it alone this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.” He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

The Prayer of the Righteous

While praying before the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ a couple of days ago, I found myself making several distinct petitions. Each of these I have prayed for separately at some point in the past but this time I felt the need to write these down and pray them as a series of requests, one after another. I have chosen to post these petitions because these are what not only I but the Church needs to uphold before the throne of grace and mercy and to the faithful One who sits upon it.

Prayer: That each one of us will love God fervently from the heart regardless of our circumstances. We need to cling to God with praise, joyous hope and confidence even “if the fig tree does not blossom nor there be fruit on the vine” (Hab. 3:17, 18). Can our relationship with God be one of single-minded, pure and simple devotion to Him (2Cor. 11:3) whether we have or we do not have; whether we are blessed with answers to prayer or while dealing with challenges and struggles? Without a doubt, God is honoured when we love Him, cling to Him and worship Him despite our difficulties.  

“Renew my mind O Lord, that I will not love Thee only because there is blessing found in Thee but that I would love Thee because of Thee. Help me know that if I have life to even pray and hope and seek Thee, it is because Thou hast in Thy mercy sustained breath in me. Should Thou have chosen not to bring me into existence or instead take my life sooner, there would not have been me to pray or seek Thee in the first place. So I ask Thee in the name of Jesus, please renew my mind that I will love Thee with all my heart, my mind and my strength with an undistracted devotion and love.”

Prayer: That each of us would have a greater burden for God’s kingdom, His will and the Church. That our prayer-life would go beyond ourselves and our immediate circle. 

“Teach me O God that I may understand that Thy glorious purposes and Thy will go beyond me. It goes beyond my circle of family and friends. It even goes beyond ‘my church’. Thou didst teach us dear Master to pray to the Father, ‘Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done,’ even before Thou mentioned, ‘Give us each day our daily bread.’ Please renew my mind so that I am constantly burdened for the glory of Thy kingdom and the accomplishing of Thy will here on earth.”

Prayer: That our faith would be firmly anchored in God’s everlasting, unfailing, inseparable and boundless love—a faith so firmly grounded in the person of God and His overwhelming rich grace that He has for us in Jesus that no matter how strong the storm and how threatening the waves, we will not drown. 

I have learnt one thing at the feet of God—our Saviour will not take away the storm, He will take us through the storm. The lover of our soul will not quench the fire, He will sustain us in the fire. Remember Daniel in the lion’s den or the three youth that were thrown into the blazing furnace? Our faith must be anchored in God’s infinite care and concern for us. We would then find that we will not be shaken. We will not be moved. A definite proof of such faith is a peace within that surpasses understanding. Such rest is accompanied with praise on our lips (Php.4:4) and joy because of our faithful Saviour.

“Help me dear Lord to have a faith so firmly anchored in Thee that no matter what comes my way, I will be at rest. I am convinced that the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous. I am certain that Thou art mindful of me and all that I am going through. There is nothing that escapes Thy attention. In fact Thou dost know what I need before I even ask of Thee. Let me know increasing rest, almost like that which Thou didst display at the back of the tossed boat when the disciples feared for their lives (Mt. 8:24).”

Prayer: That each one of us in the Church would live a life of righteousness, truth and love; a life where the beauty of Jesus is seen in us—“Christ in us, the hope of glory (Col. 1:27).” Though sin abounds in the world and unrighteousness increases may we constantly seek God for strength to live worthy of the calling we received when we were made a new creation. 

“Oh how we need Thy strength dear Father, the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead; may it raise us too to live righteous and pleasing before Thee. On our own we utterly fail but with Thee we can be victorious. Thou didst cleanse us from sin by the precious blood of Jesus that we may be a separated (or holy) people for Thee alone. May we not compromise on this covenant (1Cor. 11:25)—that we willingly entered into with Thee—by being adulteresses (Jas. 4:4). May Thou find in us a bride that is pure, holy and blameless at Thy coming Lord Jesus (Eph. 5:27).”

Prayer: That God may raise prophets; equip and send them into the Church so that the voice of God rings through loud and clear as each servant speaks with boldness and power.

“We need such prophets Lord. At a time when false teachers abound and clever, deceptive teaching spreads all around, I ask that Thou wouldst speak through Thy servants. The Church needs to hear Thy truth. The Church needs to hear Thy voice. Thou didst send prophets at various intervals in past centuries; the time has now come when we need such men again. Hear my cry, faithful God. Please attend to this prayer I make.”

Prayer: That God may prepare the Church to listen to the prophets whom He would send. That He may give to the Church a spirit of discernment so that His sheep would recognize His voice and distinguish it from the clamour and deception that surrounds. May such hearts not only have discernment but also be humble and repentant at the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

“In the past, the people rejected Thy messengers, dear Lord. They rejected Thee, the Master. It is not to be expected that they will receive the prophets that Thou dost send now. Yet, Thou knowest Thy sheep and when they hear Thy voice, they will listen and follow. I pray for such people in Thy Church Lord and I pray that they would be many.”

Prayer: That the decisions we make—and choices that affects our lives, our children and everything about us, small and great—would be in complete surrender to the sovereign will of our Master. That we would first and foremost desire His will and then gladly and willingly submit to all that He brings our way.

“We have trusted in Thy wisdom Oh God. We have believed that Thou who knowest the end from the beginning are able to guide us in wisdom and power into all that is perfect and best. We are convinced that there is no one that can lead us into anything better. In Thee we have the best. So whether it is decisions we make with regard to our jobs; decisions we make with regard to our children; or decisions that affect every part of our life; we gladly place them at Thy feet and ask that Thy leadership and will would govern our days. They that live such lives are safest and they are blessed. May each one of us in the Church be so trusting; for Thou cannot and will not fail. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. AMEN.”

The Love of God – A Vari-coloured Covering

As I sat listening to the saints worship God with the song, “I will sing of your love forever”, I was immediately reminded of a mother hen gathering her chicks under her wings. The defining term that came to my mind was, ‘to envelope or to wrap around (as with a blanket)’. No sooner was I reminded of these things than adjectives that describe the great love of our God and Father came flooding to my mind.

Like a hen covers her chicks under her wings, I thought of the goodness of God’s love that envelops us. The word goodness reveals the good that God wants for us. Psalm 139:17, 18 tells us that all of God’s thoughts towards us are “precious”. Were we to count them they would outnumber the sand on the seashore. The word good reveals to us that God’s love is always for our welfare, thoughts to give us a future and a hope. The word good also tells us that whatever God does for us is first-class. It is the best. The verse, “…and God saw all that He had made, and behold it was very good,” (Gen. 1:31) beautifully brings out this aspect of excellence. Let the knowledge of the goodness of God’s love envelop us like a shawl or a covering sheet.

Like a hen that covers her chicks with her wings, I thought of the kindness of God’s love that envelops us. We all know how patient His love is towards us. He bears with so many of our shortcomings. His love overflows with mercy and compassion. His love lifts us up; for a bruised reed He does not break nor does He extinguish a smouldering wick (Isa. 42:3). Let this mercy and kindness of God’s love cover us like another sheet that is wrapped around.

Like a hen covers her chicks with her wings, let God’s love that endures forever cover us completely (Psa. 136 NIV). The term “endures forever” reveals that this love never ceases. It never stops. It goes on and on and on forever. No matter where we are in our life; no matter how grave our previous mistakes, His love for us never comes to an end. Let the assurance of such an enduring love cover us like a third sheet wrapped around.

Like a hen covers her chicks under her wings, let the knowledge of God’s inseparable love wrap around us. We have often quoted Paul’s classic statement in Romans when he asked, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Rom. 8:35-39). Yet great is the need for this truth to encircle us when we are swept over by life’s stormy waves and turbulent seas. The more we meditate on the term ‘inseparable’, the more we realise how close knit and tightly bound we are to this agape love of God. Try as one may, no lies of the devil can separate God from us. Should we then allow fear on our part, or discouragement or the cares and worries of life separate us from God? May the knowledge of the inseparable quality of God’s love wrap around us like a fourth sheet.

Like a hen covers her chicks under its wings, let the truth of the unfailing quality of God’s love wrap around us. The word ‘unfailing’ reveals to us that this love will never let us down. It’s a love that will never disappoint us nor will it put us to shame. It’s a love that we can rely on and depend on. We can stake all our life’s decisions with a full assurance that we are safe and secure in our never failing, dependable and trustworthy God. May such a knowledge revealed to us by the Holy Spirit of God cover us like yet another sheet wrapped around.

Like a hen covers her chicks under its wings, let the boundless love of God envelop us. Adjectives like immeasurable, fathomless, limitless, unsearchable only magnifies the beauty of this great love that God, our Father has for us through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Let this pure, selfless, rich-in-grace love tightly wrap itself around us as one more sheet of another colour.

We can sing, “I will sing of your love forever,” and yet not comprehend the greatness and beauty of the love of God. The problem with many Christians is that we often do not mean what we say (or sing). The words of Isaiah can well apply to us when he said, “This people honour Me with their lips but their heart is far away from Me” (Mt. 15:8).

The songs at the Life Group concluded with the song, “Hide me now under Your wings; Cover me within Your mighty hand. When the oceans rise and thunders roar; I will soar with You above the storm. Father You are King over the flood; I will be still and know You’re God.” Like Joseph’s cloak of many colours, may the varied colourful aspects of God’s love wrap around us. May our soul find rest under His wings. May we be still under God’s mighty hand. Such faith and rest in God's love will remove the glaring aberration between what we say and how we behave.

The Eternal Purpose and Promises of God

...that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord , that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.” Joshua 4:24

Below is an extract of Mark Twain's writing that may remind you that our eternal God's promises and purposes are never thwarted. They stand forever.

Quote:

"If the statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one quarter of one percent of the human race.  It suggests a nebulous puff of star dust lost in the blaze of the Milky Way.  Properly, the Jew ought hardly to be heard of, but he is heard of, has always been heard of.  He is as prominent on the planet as any other people, and his importance is extravagantly out of proportion to the smallness of his bulk.

His contributions to the world’s list of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance, medicine and abstruse learning are also very out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers.  He has made a marvelous fight in this world in all ages; and has done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of himself and be excused for it.  The Egyptians, the Babylonians and the Persians rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away; the Greeks and Romans followed and made a vast noise, and they were gone; other people have sprung up and held their torch high for a time but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, and have vanished.

The Jew saw them all, survived them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmaties, of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert but aggressive mind.  All things are mortal but the Jews; all other forces pass, but he remains.  What is the secret of his immortality?

End Quote

Christ in You, the Hope of Glory - Edited

Though I had written on this subject on September 21, I realize that I should not have been hasty in posting it; for in the subsequent days I found God impressing upon my heart a deeper teaching. I earnestly hope you would be willing to give a little time and inclination to go through this post. It could challenge you as it has done me. 

The gospel through Jesus Christ is filled with numerous and very precious privileges. Each promise in the gospel is so great and full of honour that it would be difficult to place them in an order of importance. There is one privilege however that I found the Lord, in His mercy draw my attention to—a glorious privilege that has captivated me.

“Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27)—the last four words of the verse aptly summing up our earnest expectation to share in this glory—is a mystery that is filled with the richness of God’s glory and grace. It is a mystery that God chose in His wisdom to hide from past ages and generations but to make known now to the saints in the Church (Col. 1:26). Paul who understood and experienced this great privilege first shares his longing for the Galatians, "...I am again in labour until Christ is formed in you" (Gal. 4:19). He then prays this very thing for the Ephesians. He asked that they be strengthened in the inner man with power by the Holy Spirit; and for what reason? “So that Christ would dwell in their hearts through faith” (Eph. 3:17). It is possible that this privilege can be confused with another glorious honour—that of having the Lord God make His abode in us; for are we not the temple of the Holy Spirit? Yet when this great bondservant of God prayed for the Church in Ephesus, he made it clear that it was something they could have only by being strengthened with the power of God.

In this connection the Apostle wrote something profound to the Philippian Church—text that is not easy to understand and often read through quickly. He first started by telling them how all his so-called trophies are worthless in comparison to knowing Christ (Php. 3:7, 8)—this is yet another great privilege that we can enjoy in the gospel. He then continued to tell them of the righteousness of Christ that is attained through faith (Php. 3:9). It is to attain this that he speaks of his earnest desire to experience in a greater way the resurrection power of God and the practical participation of the sufferings of Christ. I understand the latter to mean denying one’s self-life (also referred to as carrying one’s cross) and putting one’s fleshly desires to death. Paul now discloses his profound end goal—“in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Php. 3:11). What is this resurrection from the dead? I believe the Apostle is referring here to the life of Christ where the ‘dead’ is our crucified self-life and the resurrection, our Christ-like life. This understanding is further reinforced when he says that he hasn’t obtained it yet nor has he become perfect, but “I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus” (Php. 3:12). He further takes this insightful teaching to its conclusion where he tells us that when our Saviour comes, He will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory (Php. 3:21).

Hear now his declaration to the Galatians: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…” (Gal. 2:20). Is not this ‘life of Christ revealed in me’ a great and wonderful mystery that God has purposed for us to experience? We can draw encouragement in the fact that it is the very thing that Christ Jesus desires for us. It is one of the reasons why He has laid hold of us.

  

Now to experience such a privilege, the starting point must be a life of faith, obedience in righteousness and the fear of God. From scripture we will quickly learn that God has called us to live lives that are set apart for Himself. The terms ‘holy’ and ‘sanctified’ used numerously with regard to the Church emphasises this importance. We know well that Christ shed His blood to cleanse us of all sins so that we would lay aside the old self which is being corrupted with lusts of deceit (Eph. 4:22); be renewed in the attitude of our mind (Eph. 4:23 NIV); and put on the new self—and here lies the characteristics that has the necessary ingredients for the life of Christ to dwell in our hearts—which in the likeness of God has been created in true righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:24 NKJV).

Paul repeatedly cautions us that such a life cannot be achieved with one’s own strength or our “own righteousness”. He never ceases to remind us that it is possible only by faith. It is futile to strive to achieve a Christ-like life of righteousness and humility and love on our own. Such attempts end up with failure, frustration and discouragement. But when we depend on God for His resurrection power, His rich favour and His overflowing mercy the life that our Lord has purposed for us to experience in the gospel can be realized. God who has given this privilege for us to lay hold of is faithful to guide our thirsting hearts.

This mystery of the life of Christ in us is what our Saviour the true Light, meant when He said, “You are the light of the world” (Mt. 5:14). When Christ’s life is in us, our fruit abounds to the glory of the Father and it proves our allegiance as His disciples (Jn. 15:8). It is vital to note that our Lord spoke of this while commanding us to abide in Him, the true Vine. It is only through such abiding that we branches draw our life and sustenance.

I recognize my own inadequacies as I write this for I am painfully conscious how much God still has to do in me so that the life I live is no longer I but Christ in me. What then does “Christ in me” mean in my daily living? I confess that I am not qualified to answer this but I pursue with God’s help what is already revealed to us of the life of Christ.

The Messiah showed how important He considered the will of God (Jn. 4:34; Mt. 12:50). His faith in and obedience to the Father is clearly seen throughout the four gospels. Selfless giving and overflowing love characterized His life (Eph. 5:2). Humility and not looking at personal interest was another quality that defined our Saviour (Php. 2:3-5). Patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, keeping no record of wrongs (Gal. 5:22; 1Cor. 13:5)—the hallmarks of agape love are what He commanded us to emulate (Jn. 13:34; 15:12). Two terms Paul uses to describe Christ’s love for the Church: ‘nourish’ and ‘cherish’ (Eph. 5:29). To cherish is to protect and care for lovingly (as one would a precious treasure). It may be possible to summarize in one verse the above qualities of Christ: He died for all so that we who live might no longer live for ourselves but for Him who died and rose again on our behalf (2Cor. 5:15). May we be faithful to increasingly imitate these characteristics first. When God sees us faithful in these little things, He can lead us further into experiencing the fullness of this mystery.

Help us O God of all grace and mercy. Strengthen us in the inner man with Thy mighty power by the Holy Spirit so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith. Unless Thou build O Lord, all who labour, do so in vain. There is nobody else that can help us experience this amazing privilege in the gospel except Thee. In the richness of Thy grace Thou didst purpose that the life of Thy Son Jesus Christ dwell in us. Now lead us and work in us to experience its fulfilment.

God's Plan for Us

God does not need a Plan B.
His Plan A is perfect. 

It needs no upgrades; no updates; no bug fixes and no corrections. 

It is not one-sided, but factors all things. That is why His wisdom is called, "manifold". 

Its workings are not only for the temporal but for the eternal. 

His plans are dependable. They are trustworthy. They are for our welfare; to give us a future and a hope. They are the best we can have. No one can plan better. 

Let us trust God completely and unwaveringly. Through Jesus Christ we are truly blessed.

I Have this Against You

I was reflecting on the words of our glorified Lord when He asked John to write to the church in Ephesus. For the first time the strong warning that the Lord Jesus gave them made me afraid. He said, “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you, and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent (Rev. 2:4, 5).

Jesus first commended the church for their deeds, their toil, their perseverance and their intolerance towards false apostles (Rev. 2:2). He also approved of their hatred towards the Nicolaitans—those who advocated false doctrines and teachings (Rev. 2:6). Yet despite all this, the Lord warned them that He would remove the church—they would be no more—if they did not repent from their half-hearted devotion to Him. This brief yet strong warning shook me because it showed me how seriously God looks at our love and devotion to Him. The risen Lord reprimanded the church in Laodicea for this same reason saying, “I would that you were cold or hot” (Rev. 3:15). In simple words: It’s all or nothing. Here again the warning of the faithful and true Witness was powerful: “So because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” (Rev. 3:16).

When Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, he sought to secure from them “an undistracted devotion to the Lord” (1Cor. 7:35). The Amplified New Testament elaborates this so well saying: “…to secure your undistracted and undivided devotion to the Lord.” Another term that beautifully brings out this meaning is single-minded devotion. When writing to the same church in his second letter Paul said something similar, “…I betrothed you to one husband, that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ” (2Cor. 11:2, 3). We have heard God say that He is a jealous God (Deut. 4:24). What do we learn from these verses? That our Redeemer is looking for us to be true to our part of the covenant by loving Him with a sincere undistracted love and devotion.  

Coming back to the church in Ephesus. Here were Christians that Paul had spent three years with (Acts: 20:32). Day after day in this period (from around 53 AD) he laboured with them. He never ceased to admonish each one with tears. 40 years later when the Apostle John was writing the revelation of Jesus Christ (around 90 AD), the Ephesian Christians were still faithful to their work and toil for the kingdom of God; conducting several activities for the glory of God. All these spoke volumes of the strong foundation Paul had established in them. They persevered in the things of the gospel. They tested every teaching that so-called false apostles taught. From all this it appears that despite the city itself being an idolatrous, corrupt business hub they were an 'active', 'vibrant' church. Still the Lord Jesus told them that He would remove the church from its place if they did not repent and get back to that simplicity and purity of undistracted devotion to Him.

Oh that each of us, members of the body of Christ, would love God with all our heart and all our soul and all our mind (Mt. 22:37). Oh that every stone in the living temple of God would be firmly established in the truth of righteousness knowing well that each one is sanctified for God alone—a people for God’s own possession (1Pet. 2:9). Oh that every branch in the living Vine would recognize that apart from Jesus we can do nothing (Jn. 15:5b). There is such a crying need in the Church today to get back to our first love for Christ—a love that clings to Him in faith; a love that submits wholeheartedly to His will; a love that says to Him in sincerity, “the world behind me; the cross before me.” We need to awaken. We need to arise that Christ will shine on us (Eph. 5:14). It is imperative that we hearken to the warning of the Spirit of God for if the glorified Saviour was willing to take away the “lampstand from out of its place”—and we know that God does not lie but always keeps His word—will He treat us differently?

I believe that the church at Ephesus took the warning of Jesus seriously and repented; for history tells us that 20 years later (around 110 AD), Bishop Ignatius of Antioch wrote a letter to the church to encourage them. May we learn from these examples the things that are important to God. May we be preserved from deceiving ourselves; satisfied with leaves only and bereft of fruit. “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it” (Mt. 7:14).

Christ in You, the Hope of Glory

The gospel through Jesus Christ is filled with numerous and very precious privileges. Each promise in the gospel is so great and full of honour that it would be difficult to place them in an order of importance. There is one privilege however that I found the Lord, in His mercy, draw my attention to—one that has captivated me and is fast becoming in me something of an obsession.

“Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27)—the last four words of the verse aptly summing up our earnest expectation to share in this glory—is a mystery that is filled with the richness of God’s glory and grace. It is a mystery that God chose in His wisdom to hide from past ages and generations but to make known now to the saints in the Church (Col. 1:26). I have read this and several similar verses in the past but it is only now that God has opened my eyes to see the glory of this mystery. I used to pray and sing, "let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me." I knew that God's will is for us to reflect the life of our Saviour. But I have suddenly been made more conscious of this truth than ever before. Paul who understood and experienced this great privilege prayed for the Ephesians that they too would be strengthened in the inner man with power by the Holy Spirit so that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith (Eph. 3:17). The fact that the Apostle experienced this glorious mystery is evident when he declared, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…” (Gal. 2:20).  

Now to experience such a privilege, the starting point must be a life of faith, obedience in righteousness and the fear of God. From scripture we will quickly learn that God has called us to live lives that are set apart for Himself. The terms ‘holy’ and ‘sanctified’ used numerously with regard to the Church emphasises this importance. We are fully aware that Christ shed His blood to cleanse us of all sins so that we would lay aside the old self which is being corrupted with lusts of deceit (Eph. 4:22); and be renewed in the attitude of our mind (Eph. 4:23 NIV); and put on the new self—and here lies the characteristics that has the necessary ingredients for the life of Christ to dwell in our hearts—which in the likeness of God has been created in true righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:24 NKJV).

We won't need long to realize the futility of striving with our own strength to achieve a Christ-like life of righteousness and humility and love. Such attempts end up with failure, frustration and discouragement. But when we depend on God for His power, His favour and His mercy, the life that our Lord has purposed for us to experience in the gospel can be realized. God who has given this privilege for us to lay hold of is faithful to guide our thirsting hearts.

This mystery of the life of Christ in us is what our Saviour meant when He said, “You are the light of the world” (Mt. 5:14). It is through this life of Christ in us that our fruit abounds to the glory of the Father and proves our allegiance as disciples (Jn. 15:8). It is vital to note that our Lord said this while commanding us to abide in Him, the true Vine. Such abiding helps us branches draw its life and sustenance from the Vine, Jesus Christ.

I recognize my own inadequacies as I write this for I am painfully conscious how much God still has to do in me so that the life I live is no longer I but Christ in me. What does it mean, “Christ in me”? I confess that I do not have the full answer but I pursue with God’s help what is already revealed to us of the life of Christ. 

The Messiah showed how important He considered the will of God (Jn. 4:34; Mt. 12:50). His faith in and obedience to the Father is clearly seen throughout the four gospels. Selfless giving and overflowing love characterized His life (Eph. 5:2). Humility and not looking at personal interest was another quality that defined our Saviour (Php. 2:3-5). Patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness—the hallmarks of agape love are what He commanded us to emulate (Jn. 13:34; 15:12). Two terms Paul uses to describe Christ’s love for the Church: ‘nourish’ and ‘cherish’ (Eph. 5:29). To cherish is to protect and care for lovingly (as one would a precious treasure). May I be faithful to increasingly imitate these characteristics first; for he that is faithful in a very little, is faithful also in much (Lk. 16:10).

Help us O God of all grace and mercy. Strengthen us in the inner man with Thy mighty power by the Holy Spirit so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith. Unless Thou build O Lord, all who labour, do so in vain. There is nobody else that can carry out and lead us to the experience of this amazing privilege in the gospel except Thee. In the richness of Thy grace Thou didst purpose that the life of Thy Son Jesus Christ dwell in us. Now lead us and work in us to experience its fulfilment.

Why God Tests Us

Lessons from Deuteronomy 8:2-5

While reflecting on what God spoke to the Israelites in chapter eight of Deuteronomy, I could identify four aspects that brought out God’s purpose and heart in His working in us. The more I meditated on each of these aspects, the more it helped me understand God.

Now part of the passage reads like this:

And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not (Deut. 8:2).

So one of the first aspects I could identify in God’s working is His reason for testing us. Two phrases stand out—humble you and test you. The verse then identifies the intention of the test—to know what is in your heart, whether you would keep the commandments or not. Without exception, each one of us can testify of trying times that we have gone through, whether at home, or in our work place; whether with finances or health or relationships. The Bible records for our own instruction (1Cor. 10:11) the various times the Israelites were tested in the wilderness—at the crossing of the Red Sea (Ex. 14:11-14); or before God provided manna (Ex. 16:2-4); or water from the rock (Ex. 17:2-7); or at other times in the wilderness. They had already witnessed the power of God and had no shortage of reasons to trust Him at each test. Yet they failed.

Before the crossing of the Red Sea, they had seen the wrath of God on Pharaoh and the Egyptians and how each time he miraculously kept the children of Abraham safe. Before the manna, they were witnesses to the phenomenal power of God not only in making a way (where there was no way). He also showed them that He was their Defender by destroying the Egyptian army and their chariots when they pursued the Hebrews. They had no dearth of personal testimonies to show at each test that their God was powerful and He was caring; that He was their Defender and that He was their Provider. Yet each time they grumbled (1Cor. 10:10). Each time they displayed unbelief and disobedience (Heb. 3:19; 4:11). God used each test to humble them and reveal what was in their heart.

“Today, if you hear His voice,” the writer to the Hebrews now warns us, “do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me.” (Heb. 3:15; 4:7) Can we, through learning from Israel’s mistakes, now humble ourselves in times of testing? The fruit of true humility at such times is a spirit of trust and dependence on God. I call these fruits of humility because we are so full of ourselves that we run to God only when all that we've tried fails. Can we, in each difficult situation, cease from grumbling and complaining? Can we rest in the fact that our lives and circumstances are safe in the hands of our God who is in control and that He is able to cause all things to work for our good (Rom. 8:28)? Can we lean not on our own understanding (Prov. 3:5) but lean on Him in total dependence, our hearts crying, “My help comes from Thee, O Maker of heaven and earth” (Psa. 121:2)?

I strongly believe that if in the time of testing, we are open to the conviction of the Holy Spirit as He shows us what is in our hearts, His working would allow us to submit easily  when our faith is tested—that it may come through as more precious than gold refined in fire (1Pet. 1:6, 7). By that same working, God would teach us to persevere—for the testing of our faith brings perseverance (Jas. 1:2, 3).

The second aspect in the passage I reflected on brought out God’s care and protection. The Lord had repeatedly in the previous chapters and in the verses that followed this passage, made it amply clear to the Hebrew wanderers that He was going to take them into the promised land and was going to, with a mighty hand, give victory over those that were known to be undefeatable (Deut. 9:2); and grant to them great and beautiful things that they never laboured for (Deut. 6:10-12). But He also kept repeating the importance to love Him with all their hearts and obey Him (Deut. 8:6). So while giving these instructions, God now reminds the Israelites how He fed them with manna which they did not know nor did their fathers know (Deut. 8:3); how their garments did not wear out on them—their clothes did not tear nor did they become short (Deut. 8:4). God reminded them how through all their journey in the hot desert of Sinai their feet did not swell in all of the forty years (Deut. 8:4); and how through the great and terrible wilderness, He kept them safe from the fiery serpents and scorpions and provided for them from a hard rock in a thirsty land where there was no water (Deut. 8:15).

Oh that we can, in each of our own trials, constantly remind ourselves of the unfailing goodness of God and the inseparable love that He has for us in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:38, 39). If we could only fully grasp the meaning of Paul’s statement—"He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32)—would then learn to rest with the peace of God in each trial and in every testing situation.

The third aspect that I could identify from the passage in Deuteronomy 8 was God’s desire for us to depend on Him not only for earthly blessings; but rather to lean on and cling to His all-wise, dependable, infallible word. This aspect comes through when God says, “He let you be hungry and fed you with manna… that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.” (Deut. 8:3) I can witness from my own life that no one who trusts in God’s word—making all one’s life’s choices and decisions on the basis of God’s leading, His will and His word—has ever been put to shame. I have sought to live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God and I have seen how faithful God has been to keep me safe in His perfect path. He has gently guided my steps and kept me from the ways of error. Even when at times I was uncertain, God never failed to confirm His constant involvement in me by speaking to my heart; using His word.

Then there is the fourth aspect that clearly comes through in verse 5—the Father-heart and love for His children. He says, “You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the LORD your God chastens you.” (Deut. 8:5). We are all familiar with the verse in Hebrews that says, “For whom the Lord loves He chastens and scourges every son whom He receives.” (Heb. 12:6) Now I ask a question converse to the one that the Bible poses. Just as God disciplines us when we need correction (Heb. 10:9), would He discipline us if we stay true to Him and His word? Would He rebuke us if we walk close to Him with faith and obedience in undistracted love and devotion? Would an earthly father spank his son if He is doing the right things? Then why would our heavenly Father need to chastise us unnecessarily? We can be certain that He takes no pleasure in disciplining us if we do what is right. This infers then that, it is possible, when we are chastised or disciplined—and this can come in various ways, by way of sickness, or by any other way—that there must be an area in our life that needs attention. The quicker we are to identify it, repent and seek God’s face to sin no more in what He has convicted us, the sooner we are free from that period of chastisement. Of course, there are others areas of testing that God takes us through, though these are not because of sin, but because the Father is seeking to do a greater work—a work that makes us stronger and takes us deeper in our walk with Him. Yet whatever the circumstance or reason for discipline, God reveals His Father-heart by, in effect, telling us: “I love you. I want to lead you from glory to glory. I know what needs to be done. Trust Me. Submit to My working. My grace is sufficient for you.”

Four glorious aspects in as many verses bring out what our good, good God and Father wants to achieve in times of testing. May He find in us submissive, trusting, obedient hearts. In doing so we will witness the great grace of God when He says, “Do not be terrified of them (our enemies, our difficulties or our circumstances); for the LORD your God, the great and awesome God, is among you.” (Deut. 7:21)

Let the King of Glory Come In

“Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in,” (Psa. 24:7) sang David with probably a whole choir in tow as they brought the Ark of the Covenant into the ancient city of the Jebusites that he had captured. King David continued his anthem of exaltation: Who is this King of glory? He is the Lord strong and mighty. He is the Lord mighty in battle. He is the LORD of hosts. This is the King of glory (Psa. 24:8, 10). So there was the historic significance of the psalm and as one commentary writes, there was a prophetic meaning too. “The psalm was greater than the occasion and has generally been interpreted as prophetic of Christ’s ascension after victory over death and sin and of His ultimate sovereignty over all.” *

However as I meditated on this psalm, I wondered of its significance for me. I reflected on the terms used—gates and everlasting (or ancient) doors. I was so eager for the King of glory to ‘come in’. Oh how we constantly need more of Him; more of His fullness and His glorious presence. How we need to constantly submit to His Kingship. It was at this time that I was reminded of the Lord Jesus and His triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Jesus had entered Jerusalem several times before yet this final entry was momentous. He was now entering the city one last time. Unknown to the great multitude that gathered to hail Him, His next few days there, His death outside the city, His resurrection and His emphatic victory over sin and death was to herald the King of kings and the Lord of lords who would sit at the Father’s right hand. Two significant things caught my attention. One, the disciples and the multitudes spread their garments on the road before this King (Lk. 19:36) and two, the great multitude of disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice (Lk. 19:37). I related this to my own life in the context of my reflection to Psalm 24. I knew that laying down one’s cloak was an act of submission. It was acknowledging and accepting the authority of the ruler. 

Lift up your gates Oh my soul! Lift it up with joyful praise. Lift up thy doors in adoration; for He has done, and is still doing great things. Let the King of glory come in and let Him take His rightful place on the throne of thy heart. For is He not the King of the universe? Is it not written, “The earth is the Lord’s and all its fullness; the world and those who dwell therein” (Psa. 24:1)? Why then is it so hard to lay down your cloak before Him in submission? 

It is important to note that when our glorified Lord asked the Apostle John to write to the Church at Laodicea, He was not speaking to unbelievers when He said, "Behold I stand at the door and knock." (Rev. 3:20) His message was to the Church. It is possible for us Christians to do the usual routine of fellowshiping with saints, actively participating in Church activities, reading the Bible and praying while all the time, the King of glory stands out.

Yet there is no better authority to surrender to than that of our God. His reign is forever. Governments rise and governments fall but our God’s reign goes on and on. It never comes to an end. Further, His dominion and authority is over all things. Nations have boundaries and control only over what is within their borders. As for our God, His kingdom’s boundaries have no end. His authority is over all things. There is nothing in heaven or on earth or under the earth that is outside His authority. Lift up your gates with shouts of praise. Be lifted up you everlasting doors to the temple of the Most High for He dwells within you. Let the King of glory rule with majesty and power; wisdom and love.

I am a witness of God’s goodness and can testify that when we allow this King to have His will rule over our lives; when we surrender our will to that of the eternal One who knows the end from the beginning and who never ever goes wrong; then we shall walk in paths of life and peace. In addition we shall see His power at work within us. He shows Himself as the Lord who is strong and mighty. He defends us as our Lord, mighty in battle (Psa. 24:8). The God of the scripture reveals Himself to us as Hashem Tze’va’ot (Psa. 24:10)—the Name that is Commander of angel armies and all created things. “The name ‘I AM THAT I AM’ that proclaims Him as the absolute, independent, underived, timeless being. The name that is a covenant name. The name that speaks of the God who has come into fellowship with men and has bound Himself to a certain course of action for their blessing.” ** 

May we come to this King of glory with clean hands, a pure heart and one that has not lifted up its soul to worldly vanity nor is deceitful. May we spread out our cloak before Him in submission. May our lips constantly give praise to His glorious name. Such will receive a blessing from the Lord and vindication from God, their Saviour (Psa. 24:5 NIV). Such will witness from personal testimony that the eternal LORD of hosts, YHWH Tze’va’ot, is indeed the King of glory.      

* New Bible Commentary, Third Edition; published by Inter-varsity Press

** Adapted from MacLaren’s Exposition; biblehub.com

Teach us to Number our Days

I was reflecting on Moses’ prayer in Psalm 90 yesterday and was pondering over his profound statement, “A thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it is past, and like a watch in the night.” (Psa. 90:4) The prophet had just begun describing the eternal greatness of God when he turned to contrast it with the short span of man’s existence. I pondered over verse four and tried to relate it with me and my own context.

I am not very good at Maths and so after struggling for a while, I took the help of my wife and together we attempted to calculate that if a thousand years is like one day to God, then the span of a man’s life—which Moses pegs at 70 or at best 80 years—would be 0.07 of a day to God. We converted this to hours and figured that by man’s standard of calculation, a total span of 70 years of man would roughly work out to about 90 minutes in God’s sight. I am just over 50 years so that leaves me with just about a score of years left. When translated to time in God’s sight, this works out to approximately 30 minutes. Judging however from all that is happening in the world around us and assessing it with all the prophesies that the Bible has given us, so that we might ascertain the season we are in; I feel that even 10 more years on this earth could be a luxury. Where does this leave me if I were to look at my years in God’s sight? Not more than 15 minutes.

Now these calculations are primitive and would be totally flawed; for God’s time is not calculated by our time and God’s realm is very, very different from our realm but the point we can heed to is that if a thousand years is like a day in God’s sight, then my years on earth are minutes to Him. Moses continues his prayer by highlighting man’s temporal nature. He writes, “You sweep people away in the sleep of death—they are like the new grass of the morning: In the morning it springs up new, but by evening it is dry and withered.” (Psa. 90:5, 6 NIV) Isaiah corroborates this when he says, “All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.” (Isa. 40:6-8) David associates man’s days by using a different allegory—a span of a hand (Psa. 39:5).

Nothing I have written is not known. We have probably read these verses several times and you can explain them better. The purpose of this writing however is to pray like Moses: Teach me to number my days, that I may gain a heart of wisdom (Psa. 90:12). 

Give me a heart of understanding, dear Master, that I will walk each day in Thy path—for all Thy paths are life and peace (Rom. 8:6). I know that if with Thy help I am faithful to walk each day in paths of righteousness (Psa. 23:3), it will yield the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22, 23). At home with my family, at work with my colleagues, wherever I am Lord, let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me. Thou didst teach us Lord Jesus that it is by this that the Father is glorified (Jn. 15:8). Thou didst warn us my Saviour that it’s not the prophesying in Thy name that counts but doing the will of the Father that matters (Mt. 7:21-23). Thou hast in no uncertain terms commanded us that our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees if we are to enter the kingdom of heaven—for the ‘doing’ must precede the ‘teaching’ (Mt. 5:19, 20). I appeal to Thee Oh Saviour—for You alone can rescue, You alone can save me from the various snares that are way-laid before me—deliver me from all evil (Mt. 6:13). 

Teach me to number my days, that I will live with the mind of a sojourner all my days on this earth (Heb. 11:9, 10) laying up for myself treasures in heaven (Mt. 6:19, 20) and not amassing riches on earth with the futility of not knowing who will gather them (Psa. 39:6). Give me a heart of wisdom dear Lord, the wisdom that is from above because Thy word teaches us that this wisdom is pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering and without hypocrisy (Jas. 3:17). With this wisdom, help me to seek first Thy kingdom and Thy righteousness (Mt. 6:33) for Thou wilt satisfy me in the morning with Thy lovingkindness that I may sing for joy and be glad all my days (Psa. 90:14). Short as my days are, help me to set my mind on the things that are above where Christ is seated (Col. 3:2) knowing that in doing that, Thou will cause Thy favour to be upon me and will confirm for me the work of my hands (Psa. 90:17). Hear my cry Lord and in Thy faithfulness, answer my prayer. I ask in Jesus’ name. Amen!